Vocals sound slightly high pitched?


This happens with all the records I've played so far. My turntable's set to the right speed (I know because when I flick the speed switchn to the other setting, it sounds chip-munky and twice as fast). At the moment, the vocals are slightly high pitched (noticeably but not unbearably). Is this just something that'll go away as my cartridge breaks in or is there something wrong with my setup? Thanks.
toxicwaterfront

Showing 5 responses by lewm

Get....a....strobe....device.
You will find that your turntable is off-speed, on the high side. There is no mystery here.
Just because the turntable sounds obviously way too fast when you set it on 45 (the presumptive "other speed"), does not at all mean that it cannot be running slightly fast at the 33 setting. You should check speed with a strobe device; there are many very inexpensive options for doing that. It would also help if you would reveal the brand and model of turntable. Chances are your tt is running a bit fast. VTA affects tonal balance but not pitch. And it certainly has nothing to do with the cartridge. If you report back, I can help further.
Dear Toxic, At this point, I would go ahead and check the speed with a strobe device. There are websites where you can download one for free, but you will need to print out on a 1:1 scale. Let us know whether you can confirm that your DP300F is running slightly fast at the 33 rpm setting.
What kind of turntable do you own? Belt-drive, direct-drive, or idler-drive? I am going to guess it's a belt-drive. First, I would do nothing until you receive and install your new belt. Second, would depend upon your tt has a stand-alone motor where you can move the motor towards or away from the platter. Sometimes that is sufficient to adjust speed, although it is not intellectually satisfying. If your motor is fixed in position with respect to your platter, and if once you get the new belt your tt is still "fast", then consider a motor controller.